Great American Financial Resources Inc.

While we did tow her car at the request of the City of Columbus Division of Police the vehicle was not ransacked by any one at our company At the accident scene while our Drivers were hooking up her vehicle there were multiple people with the complainant that was accessing the belongs from
her vehicle As a matter of fact one of our Drivers asked the complainant several times if there were any other items that she needed to retrieve from her vehicle before being towed I would suggest that before she belittles another person for stealing that she looks at the people that were with herAlso maybe she should check if someone else with her may have picked them up and placed them somewhere for safe keeping Our Drivers go through a background check in order to tow for our company and both of our Drivers at the scene passed the background check I would check with the belongings removed by the complainant and the people with her to she what they may have done with them

I do not accept this reply to my complaintMy car had just been totalled I was upset and as I was trying to get my belongings they started putting my car on the tow truckHow dare they accuse my brother and best friend or mother from taking itMy cds from my middle console were out and on the floorMy middle console wasn't even touched at the accidentMy papers from my glove box were also out and the guy at the tow company found my title on the front seatSo I guess someone there did ransacked my car and I will also be making a complaint with the police departmentHow dare they make a customer feel this wayI will also go to the attorney generalEveryone needs to be aware of the kind of company they runMaking the customer who is already dealing with a lot deal with her car being ransacked as wellRude just rude
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards,
*** ***

This
business has not answered a request sent for a detailed explanation of the itemized statementthey have price gouged, infated prices ( charging exhorbant rates for rental equip and manpower) and a k bill is price gougingSurely it is not possible for this much equipment to be involved in an accident to be anything other than basic rip-off

This correspondence is a follow up to our July 21, 2016, email regarding the above referenced Great American Life Insurance Company(8) (“GALIC”) caseI appreciate the opportunity to respond to you.To begin, our record shows that we processed the surrender for Mrs*** on July 15, by
electronic funds transferShe should let us know if she did not receive these funds.Please note that beginning in January of there were new documentation requirements due to new Treasury Department regulations concerning 403(b) qualified contractsWe have to administer her 403(b) contract in accordance with the plan set up by her employerTo address this requirement GALIC needed to have a plan administrator’s signature and verify that person listed was able to sign for the planWe received her surrender paperwork on June 23, and sent a request on July 5, 2016, for an updated listed of authorized signers as the person who signed was not on our listGALIC received multiple version of our surrender paperwork but did not receive a new list of authorized signers until July 13, 2016.I hope this information is helpfulWe apologize that our servicing of this matter did not meet her expectationsIf you have any questions, please contact me at 1-800-***My direct extension is ***You may also reach me via fax at (513) ***Sincerely,*** ***Compliance Manager, Great American Life Insurance Company

As you can see, the story changes as he tells it The tractor trailer was not of the side of the roadway It was blocking and I would suggest you contact The Ohio State Highway Patrol Post in Circleville to confirm and after taking into account the complaint and response from and the
Ohio Attorney Generals Office, I would think you could see the inconsistency in his stories As policy we do not negotiate the bill when a vehicle is blocking the roadway and are called there by a law enforcement agencyWe move it for the safety of the motoring public Again as he stated he had already became argumentative and it was decided for the safety of our employee that we would take it to our lot The whole reason for this complaint has to do with the money charged in which we were well within our rights to collect for ALL services renderedAs far as taking it to a repair shop on Frank Road again as he stated he was argumentative and did not have the funds other than a check which the only check we would take is a commercial vehicle check (such as comcek) to make payment for our services which is common for any commercial vehicle payment

I'm sorry that no one has returned their telephone call This is the first that I have heard about this incident However, with that said the pricing for this incident is well within the industry standards Our heavy duty wreckers have a minimum of a two hour charge and the charges
are correct As for the tax that is some thing that they would need to take up with Governor ***

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:where to begin.first off,people pay insurance because the ***s mandate it,because if you do not have it you will be fined up to and including license suspension.that being said,almost everyone I know in life believes that if they have an accident that there insurance will take care of everything,that is what they do.so in my case I expected that also.now comes that part where I was sitting right beside my agent when they called Eitel's Towing.not once did your company say to *** ***,we regret to inform you that we do not accept any paper work from you.no faxes no checks,because you owe us thousands of dollars.nor did you say the only way Mr*** can retrieve "ALL"his belongings is to bring us $period.and if he does that be prepared to bring a towing vehicle so he can get that also.who in there right mind thinks this is an acceptable way of doing things.I sure do not!, and I am sure a million other people do not either.I mean do you really think that is the way to treat people?also how am I supposed to know you have an ongoing feud with *** ***.so you should have your driver bring a form to show the guy who is being towed or in an ambulance to say if you have *** *** we are sorry to inform you we only take cash .Or is it just *** *** you have an issue?or are you an all cash towing?I am confused that you would think that I would be privy to *** ***s internal mechanisms on policy and your personal problem with them.Are you in litigation?Is the situation more like what Insurance companies do to Drand hospitals ,where they say this surgery we only pay this and that is it, accept it or not.So my question is,has *** *** tried to pay you what they say the industry standards are and you refused to accept payment?I guess my point is,the average person does not know all this and then you use that against them like a predator or a samuri wielding a big sword only your sword is you have there stuff locked up behind gates and you hold there things hostage,when in fact you actually have the thing you valued by towing it(the vehicle),not the contents.Another point I want to bring up.you said your driver is not out there to negotiate a deal,I never said he should,I said to be up front that if they had *** *** they should be told what your policy is.And if you dont accept anything from *** *** have you contacted The regional office so they can let all their agents know so they can send a letter to all of there policy holders a ***ment letting them know to stay away from Eitels towing?or at least what you say is your policy for dealing with *** ***?Also have you informed the licensing board at the *** that you refuse to accept a Nation wide company standard of doing business?I understand the whole repo side of people not paying so you have issues to deal with on that side.but a person with legit paperwork walks in to your place of business and gets treated like they are a criminal,all the while you are behind a protective barrier.Heck banks do not even hide behind that.there tellers are exposed,now they do chain down the ink pens.in closing I would like to say maybe you should think about going back to the table with *** *** for the sake of people especially in your area as I am not from there,and to be more informative and to treat people with respect.I am a corrections officer and dont treat anyone with that disrespect,and if I may add I had worked 3rd shift and had to drive there after my shift and was still in my uniform and I was treated like I was a criminal.So to say I had a lot to deal with in a short amount of time worrying about a wreck in another ***,working all night,dealing with my insurance ,then driving over to your place of business to get treated with disdain and disrespect.how would you like to be in a wreck,get thrown in put in an ambulance needing a blood transfusion and the paramedic has the needle inserted and they say who is your insurance company and you say ,*** ***,then they say sorry we do not deal with them.we only accept cash,you go I don't have any on me ,so they take the needle back out and put the blood bag away but keep your clothes for the work they had performed so far,because the *** told them to get the scene under control by any means nessasary .Not a good way of doing business,and on top of that they lecture you on maybe you should have thought about this insurance company policy before you took out the policy.and a company can be in business a long time ,doesn't mean they are good,could be they are protected by law ton get by with certain things where people don"t really have much say in,like clearing the road by any means as you said.The police made that choice.I guess my point is ,we are humans and customers.Your probably one of those that would chew out some little teenage girl at mcdonalds because your order was messed up,just because you can and used to bullying your way behind your glass and policies.Thanks for responding to my earlier complaint
Regards,
Eric ***

In response to complaint 10656240, Eitel's Towing believes the issue to be resolved. One of our dispatchers was unaware of the Ohio Revised Code 4513.60 and it has long been our policy to require payment prior to allowing individuals to get belongings out of their cars. It is our only protection to ensure we are paid for our services. Unfortunately, many of the cars brought into our lot are damaged beyond repair and their owners don't want them. Without requiring payment prior to releasing personal items, we would be (and are) the recipient of many abandoned cars. However, we are now aware of the changes in the Revised Code and have made sure all dispatchers are aware of the fact that as long as an individual can provide proof of ownership and valid drivers license, we will allow them to collect their personal belongings out of the car. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience the customer experienced. He did return the next day and collected his belongings. We don't anticipate him returning to retrieve the vehicle so we will go through the multi-step process to assume ownership of the car and ultimately dispose of it for its scrap value. This will be far less than the amount owing as the vehicle is charged a daily rate of $20 for storage; the amount we receive for scrapping the car does not even cover the initial cost of the tow.Towing and storage fees are not set by Eitel's on tows done at the request of the Sheriff's office. We are bound by a contract and must comply with all requirements, including carrying a higher insurance limit, drug testing, background testing, etc.. The customer believes he was charged an exorbitant amount for his tow and subsequent storage but again, those charges are mandated by the Sheriff's office - both the amount for the tow as well as the storage fees. The laws and fees for private party impound are different that those associated with police agencies.  We appreciate our long-standing relationship with the Sheriff's Office and are happy to comply with their requirements; however, it does raise our cost of doing business for that particular line of business, which is why we are allowed to charge the fees the customer was charged. Again, our apologies to the complainant, we hope he is satisfied with receiving his personal belongings at no cost, in compliance with Ohio Revised Code 4513.60.

We apologize for the delay and the extenuating circumstances which caused the issue and are happy to refund his money. We are putting it in the mail tomorrow.

To Whom it May Concern:Please see the attached response to a number of questions posed by the complainant. We do not stage accidents nor do we price gouge. I believe the attached memorandum should answer all of their questions; it was emailed to them prior to my receiving this notification.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.  If you and the business have reached an agreement and compliance is set for a future date, we trust the business will comply.  Please contact us after that time if the matter is not resolved as agreed and we will review the complaint and proceed accordingly.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]I accept their latest response and they did apologize which I appreciated.

This reply is in response to your additional communication regarding the above referenced Great American Life Insurance Company® case.   Due to the continued concerns expressed by Ms. [redacted], we fully reviewed this matter again.  Ms. [redacted] appears to begin her processing time from December.  Please note due to previous concerns with her revocation of her Power of Attorney (“POA”) and the Third Party Administrator approval needed for the withdrawal, we did not consider her paperwork in good order until January 11, 2017.  The previous information she sent to revoke the POA was insufficient. After receiving her physician’s note on January 11, 2017, her surrender request was sent to our Legal Department for review on January 18, 2017.  Upon receipt of Legal Department approval there was a delay on our end.  We again apologize for that delay. The check went out to her by overnight mail at our expense on February 6, 2017.    In addition, we reviewed the multiple phone calls Ms. [redacted] made to the office between November 11, 2016 and February 1, 2017.  While we feel our staff worked to address her concerns, we understand her frustrations.  We apologize that our handling of this matter did not meet her expectations.   I hope that this additional reply is helpful.  If the owner has any further questions, she may contact our Compliance Department representative at 1-800-[redacted] extension [redacted].  She may also reach us by fax at (513) [redacted].

The Driver of the truck was argumentative with the wrecker Operator and due to safety reasons the truck was brought to our facility.  In his own words he stated that he argued with us and we refuse to put an employee in a jeopardizing position.  As for the amount of money he didn't mention that the was for also repairs made to HIS equipment

it is clear from both of my statements that you are the ones trying to twist the story for your own good,first of all there was no accident as you claimed in your reply to consumer protection bureau and I was not blocking any road ,I was parked on the shoulder  with traffic moving in both lanes  with no obstruction if that was the case the officer would have issued a citation to me which he did not , secondly you were right I was argumentative because you refused to take my trailer to the nearby pilot and refused to even listen to me ,you were also dragging my trailer and burning my brakes , .thirdly I have  a debit card and could have withdrawn money from any ATM to pay you if you had given me a quote when  I asked for it instead you told me that you would have to speak with a supervisor for that and finally you are also right it is about the money and also the fact that you chose to do  what you did because when you heard me speak with a strong accent you thought that you would get away with  fraudulently impounding my trailer and request payment for release. I am asking Revdex.com to please obtain a report from the police which I would also do if I have to take another action

First and foremost I'm glad your Grand Daughter was alright.  As far as the little window that we have as you stated for paying bills that is exactly what it is used for.  For the reason of not accepting State Farms claim numbers,  Our Dispatcher was correct.  State Farm does not...

own Eitel's Towing Service, Inc. and they can not and will not dictate our policies and procedures.  State Farm is not accepted because we are owed several tens of thousand dollars from them in which they are not paying.  So if someone owed you a lot of money, would you keep doing work for them and not get paid.  Furthermore, we never refused you from retrieving your vehicle.  You are the one responsible for your vehicle not your insurance company.   As far as releasing property from the vehicle the only items that we release are school books and medical equipment or medicines.  Again, if you would have just paid the tow and storage you could have gotten your vehicle and property from the vehicle.  Maybe you didn't because you didn't want to take the chance in not being reimbursed from State Farm, so why would we.  Now as far as towing for Police departments.  Do you really think that it is in the best interest of the motoring public to have a wrecker show up on the accident scene and try to negotiate a rate and not be able to come to terms so how many towing services would have to be called before you get one that will work under your direction.  Maybe you don't realize that more serious accidents occur do be being a secondary accidents and usually they don't turn out well for people.  Think about it, it could be someone in your family sitting there minding their own business and get hit.  I've had to go to those type of accidents and it will make you sick.  When a Police Department calls we go out and clear the roadway as quick as possible by any means.  The State of Ohio has a quick clear policy that means to get the roadway open by any means and that is what we do.  We are 51 year old company that is very successful and I'm sorry if you were met with any disrespect and I will look into the matter.  I realize that having to handle this type of incident in your life is seldom but it is something we deal with every day.  Everything we do is to industry standards.  As far as Your insurance company goes maybe you should look into their practices or have your agent call State Farm and find out why we don't accept anything saying they will be responsible for their insured.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted] I reject their response because it was not entirely truthful.  I realized there would be a 20% tax penalty.  However, the system did fail more than once.  It should not have taken almost 7 weeks to obtain my surrender check as opposed to the initial  2 weeks they told me when I first called.  I received and mailed the application in Dec. and did not get the check until Feb.   They said they needed to have an acceptance by the plan administrator,  which they did have Jan. 5 as they told me so on the phone.  And then it would take 5 business days to process.  They brought up the Power of Attorney which had been revoked in November 2016 and I had faxed them copies of that along with medical documentation from August 2016 that I could handle my own affairs, including a letter I wrote stating I had been supporting myself and living independently since August 2016, although I did appoint a new Power of Attorney in case of an emergency. In Nov. I thought that would clarify the whole issue.  Meanwhile since this all began I received two statements from one of their agents stating I had already withdrawn my full amount in July of 2016, which was a mistake.  And I notified them of my new address 3 times.  I sent them additional medical documentation from my current doctor Jan.11, 2017 that I could handle may own affairs at their request.  So they actually had all the documentation they needed for 3 months.  Then they informed me that it would have to go to the legal dept. and to call back Feb.1 but when I called they said it was still with the legal dept.  There was no continuity it seemed between the representatives I spoke with and I often had to repeat the same information.  The company seemed more concerned from what they told me with tax laws than my civil rights and following through on what they said..  It was my money, which they had to invest for many years.  Rather than apologize than just tried to explain away the issues.I would not recommend them to anyone.Sincerely,       [redacted], Ph.D.

In short.  WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY THING FROM [redacted].  They DO NOT own Eitel's Towing and neither they nor you can dictate how we do business and who we will extend credit to.  YOU are the one who is responsible for all charges to yur vehicle.  We DO NOT extend credit to ANY Insurance companies nor will we.